Signaling device.



No. 630,477. Patented Aug. 8, i899.

B. BEHR. v

SIGNALING DEVISE.`

(Application tiled Feb. 8, 1899.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFETCE.

BURKARD BEHR, OF ZURICH, SIVITZERLAND.

SIGNALING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 630,477, dated August 8, 1899.

Application filed February 8,1899. Serial No. 704,966. (No model.)

To LLZZ wbmn it may concern:

Be it known that LBURKARD BEHR,a citizen of the Russian Empire, residing at Haldenbachstrasse 22, Zurich, Switzerland, have invented an Improved Signaling Device; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to signaling; and it consists, substantially, in such featu res of improvement as will hereinafter be more par-l ticularly described.

Hy invention has reference more particularly to aerial pyrotechnic signaling in accordance with a given adopted code-such, for instance, as is employed between ships passing each other in the night, or between ships and shore stations, and under other similar conditions.

The object of the invention is to provide means by which the same code of signals ordinarily carried out by means of flags during the day can be operated with the same understanding and precision at night by aerial pyrotechnic devices which take the place of the flags. As distinguishedfromasystem ofaerial pyrotechnic signaling carried out merely by the projection into the air of different-colored "pyrotechnics, I employ dierent colors of pyrotechnic or illuminating material--such as green, red, white, and blue magnesium powders, which are employed either separately or in dierent combinations and which give out light of corresponding colors when the magnesium is ignited. It is well known that magnesium powder burns somwehat slowly, and the length of time which it will burn is proportional to the quantity of the substance ignited, and .I therefore combine this quality, aided by anyone color of the four mentioned colors or by a combination of any two or more of such colors, in producing what I term flash and flare lights at night accordingly as the quantity of substance employed is sufficient to produce a light lasting for a short or a long period of time. Combinations may also be formed, such as double flash, double flare, flash and flare, or vice versa. A simple system of signaling may thus be composed, based on these different light colors and duration of the light, which system may be carried out. to exactly correspond to the requirements of the international signalbook and to'each person intrusted with the signal-book is easily comprehensible and capable of being learned.

- As an example, the following several signals of the signal-book are replaced by signalrockets with the prescribed properties: First, signal-book rocket and answer-rocket, red flare and white flash; second, B, green flare; third, C, white flare; fourth, D, red flare; fifth, F, blue flare; sixth, G, green flash; seventh, H, white flash; eighth, J, red flash; ninth, K, blue flash; tenth, L, green flare and green flash; eleventh, M, white flare and White flash; twelfth, N, red flare and red flash; thirteenth, P, blue flare and blue flash; fourteenth, Q, green double flash; fifteenth, R, white double Hash; sixteenth, S, red double flash; seventeenth, T, blue double flash; eighteenth,V, white and green double flash; nineteenth, W, red and green double flash; twentieth, Yes, white and red double flash; twenty-first, No, white and blue double flash.

It is of course evident that the combination of the rockets for the separate signals may also be otherwise arranged or selected.

In the accompanying drawings cartridges provided with single and compound or combined rockets for carrying out my improvements in signaling hereinbefore indicated are shown in longitudinal section in Figures l and 2.

The cartridge a, Fig.l l, is of the ordinary form and adapted for discharging a magnesium rocket c, which is tight-washered in the case a by means of tallowed wool threads or fibers b and filled with a suitable quantity of powder d, making little smoke. Between the bottom c of the rocket c and the powder charge d an elastic wad e and a metal plate f are inserted in order to protect the rocket when it is discharged, both of which are perforated to allow of the insertion of the fuse c2 into the powder charge d for lighting the rocket. The rocket c is weighted at its front end by a lead cap c3, which is conical in shape, in order to diminish the resistance of the air. The cartridge is closed by a tallowed ring g cast into it. Vhen the cartridge is discharged IOO from a suitable single or multiple firearm,

which may be arranged to receive four cartridges, the fuse c2 of the rocket c is ignited by the powder charge d, by Which' means after a period of time corresponding to the length of the said fuse c2 the rocket cris ignited and according to the form and accord-r ing to the magnesium mixture emerges in the form of a flash or flare of a certain color from `j the inlet-hole c4 of the fuse c2.

The signaling-cartridge shown in Fig. 2 is essentially arranged like the one shown in` Fig. l. As, however, the inserted rocket is intended to give a compound signal (double flash, double Hare, or the likelit is divided into two chambers h h' by means of a partition g.

On the cartridge 'bein g red the charge contained in the lower chamber his first red, and then it ignites the fuse g,passin g through the partition g into the chamber 7L', so that after a short time the chamber 7L is also discharged.

The cartridges hereinbefore described and shown in the accompanying drawings are of course only to be regarded as examples.

I declare that what I claim is- 1. An aerial pyrotechnic 'signal device adapted to be ignited by the aid of a gun, and which is elevated in the air bythe explosion of gunpowder or similar explosive, said device comprising a case containing the elevating explosive substance,'and also colored substances adapted to burn with a light for longer or shorter periods of time, whereby the said device is made available for code-signaling.

2. An aerial pyrotechnic signal device adapted to be ignited by the aid of agu'n, and which is .elevated in the air by the explosion of gunpowder or similar explosive, said device comprising a case containing the elevating explosive substance, and also diierent-coloredsub' stances, as magnesiumrpowders,each powder being in different quanti-ty to burn with a light for varying durations of time.

In testimony whereof I'afximy signature in presence of two witnesses.

BURKARD BEUR.

Vitnesses:

ANNA SCHERBELI, A. LIEBERKNECHT. 

